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"Every stress leaves an indelible scar, and the organism pays for its survival after a stressful situation by becoming a little older."
—Hans Selye, physician regarded as the "Einstein of Medicine" for his breakthrough work on stress and its relation to disease.
Technically speaking, stress is the body's response to any type of stressor, be it good or bad, short term or long term. There are different types of stress, each with its own set of characteristics. Acute stress is considered short term and can be beneficial to your well being in that it can be exciting, exhilarating, and motivating, such as riding a roller coaster or participating in a competition. It can also be an event that frightens us, saddens us, or puts us in conflict. Episodic stress is part of everyday life for some people. This type of stress is more often associated with personality types—those who always seem to be in crisis, take on too much, and never have enough time in their day. Chronic stress is long term and usually comes from something deep-seated and unresolved, such as an issue from childhood, a bad marriage, or a stressful job. It's the kind of stress that hangs around, but isn't always apparent. While the mind struggles with how to deal with all of these stressors, the rest of your body is on a mission of its own.
In times of stress, the body is a very efficient machine, and its response to the fight or flight syndrome is actually quite impressive. As a normal response to stress, the pituitary gland sends out signals telling the body to release hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. This response causes a series of events that prepare the body for the fight or flight response. The heart rate increases and blood pressure goes up, forcing blood to other parts of our body that need it. Breathing quickens in order to get more oxygen to our muscles, and we perspire so that our bodies may cool and burn more energy. Our muscles tense to prepare for action, while blood-clotting chemicals are released so there is less blood loss in case of injury. In the meantime, glucose levels rise to provide quick energy, and the digestive system slows to get more blood to the muscles and brain.
Once the stress is over, all systems return to normal. However, if we frequently expose ourselves to stress, we are asking our bodies to work overtime which can lead to physical and mental maladies.
Sleep Problems, Headaches, Stomach Irritation
It is thought that our bodies react on average 100 times a day to mild fight or flight responses. Seeing that it takes about 20 minutes for our muscles to relax after being tense, it's not hard to see how we bring on sore neck and shoulder muscles. This also doesn't give us much time to recover in general from all of the stresses in the day. When we're stressed, the hormones that are released slow down the release of stomach acid and stimulate the colon, causing stomach irritation. These hormones can also interfere with our sleep patterns.
Studies at the sleep research laboratory at Loughborough University in England have shown that lack of sleep causes part of the brain to overwork, which in turn negatively affects complex functions such as memory, planning, attention, sense of time, and verbal fluency. Additionally, lack of sleep causes your brain to produce lower levels of regular hormones, which ages you. When we do get sleep during stressful times, many of us are clenching our jaws and grinding our teeth, leading to headaches and dental problems.
Stress and the Cardiovascular System
Researchers have two theories about how stress affects the cardiovascular system, the first being that stress has a real, physiological effect. When we experience sudden stress, our blood pressure rises. During normal function, our blood vessels expand to meet the needs of increased blood flow, but it is thought that this function may be impaired with chronic stress. The second theory points to people's behaviors as the culprit. It could well be that people who are stressed tend to engage more frequently in unhealthy activities such as smoking or eating high-fat foods, which negatively impact the heart. In September 2004, Canadian researchers studied nearly 25,000 individuals from 52 countries and found that chronic stress more than doubled the risk of heart attacks.
Compromised Immune System
When the body is put under stress, the hormone cortisol is released. Cortisol is a major hormone that aids in the body's defense against stress. When you are sick, your body produces chemicals that cause inflammation and aid in healing. When you are better, cortisol is released and turns off these healing chemicals because they are no longer needed. If you are under constant stress, cortisol is constantly being released, thereby keeping the immune response turned off and making you more susceptible to colds and viruses. Remember that just as stress causes illness, illness causes stress, which can be a vicious cycle.
Unhealthy Eating and Weight Gain
The release of cortisol also stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism, thus boosting your appetite. According to a study published in HealthDay News, stress disrupts normal eating habits. In this study, researcher Dr. Daryl O'Connor said, "Stress causes people to opt for unhealthy high-fat and high-sugar snacks in preference to healthier food choices. Also, people under stress eat less than usual in their main meals, including their vegetable intake, but shift their preference to high-fat/high-sugar snacks instead." The study also found that mental stress was more likely than physical stress to cause people to snack. "Our findings are disturbing in that they show stress produces harmful changes in diet and leads to unhealthy eating behaviors," O'Connor said. Candace Nelson, owner of Sprinkles cupcake bakery summed it up best in an interview with Time Magazine titled "Cupcake Nation." "These are scary times," according to Nelson. "That's when people crave comfort food."
Depression
If the physical problems aren't enough for you to control your stress, think about psychological issues such as depression. A byproduct of cortisol released during stress acts as a sedative that contributes to feelings of being blue or depressed. Though the reason isn't clear, women are said to have three times the risk of experiencing depression as men. Some symptoms of depression include sadness, irritability, loss of interest in friends and activities, weight gain, sleep disturbance, and feelings of hopelessness.
Anxiety
Another symptom that may or may not appear alongside depression is anxiety. Anxiety is defined as unexplained feelings of dread, fear, or apprehension. Some of us might experience a few bouts of anxiety in our lifetimes, while others struggle with it daily. Physical symptoms that come along with anxiety include heart palpitations, sweating, dizziness, and/or irrational thoughts. Anxiety is considered a cause for concern when it is prolonged or severe, when it happens in the absence of a stressful event, or when it interferes with everyday tasks. As with depression, women are more likely then men to experience this symptom of stress. Anxiety can interfere with the body's ability to deal with even small amounts of stress; therefore, it's important to recognize and treat it.
How Do I Know?
How do you know if it's stress and not something else? Symptoms of stress can be nonspecific and can mimic signs of other, more serious illnesses. If you are concerned about your symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor. If your doctor agrees that it is stress, but you still feel that there is something wrong, ask to have tests run or seek another opinion. Don't always rely on stress as a definitive diagnosis.
Renee Dexter is a freelance writer and partner in Rainmaker Publishing.
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In September 2004, Canadian researchers studied nearly 25,000 individuals from 52 countries and found that
chronic stress more than doubled the risk of heart attacks.
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